Charity: Liberians Starving

August 7, 1993

LONDON -- Thousands of Liberians may starve to death unless the United Nations oversees food shipments across a closed border into the war-ravaged country, the international charity Save the Children said on Friday.

The United Nations asked Ivory Coast eight days ago to shut a key border crossing to stop aid supplies to areas held by the rebel National Patriotic Front of Liberia until U.N. officials could inspect and escort them as agreed in a recent peace pact.

But the charity said the border closure was threatening lives and urged the United Nations to put the observers into place right away. ``The U.N. should act immediately,`` it said. ``Those who need assistance must be allowed to receive it regardless of which side of the lines they are on.``